A Texas Roadhouse customer inadvertently ignited a discourse on TikTok after revealing an unusual restaurant patron dining near her. Kasey (@thatmamakasey), a stay-at-home mom, earned 3.3 million views on her clip showing a chihuahua casually perusing the menu at the steak restaurant.
‘You can’t make this up’
In the clip, Kasey is having dinner at Texas Roadhouse. She blurs her son’s face as she zooms in on a few tables down from her. Donning miniature round glasses and a serious expression is a chihuahua, held up by its owner as they both look at what appears to be the menu. Kasey evidently found it funny–and incredulous–as her text overlay read, “Can’t make this up.” She added in her caption, “Took my dad and husband to dinner for Father’s Day, and had a CHIHUAHUA with GLASSES sitting 2 tables down from us [laughing emojis.]”
I cannot believe that you all have me on the internet defending an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical but so be it. If it is my way of defending Rachel Zegler, then I will do it. People are constantly mad at her for no reason. Including for her Evita.
The musical Evita features Eva Perón, the former first lady of Argentina. She famously did a speech on a balcony and it was turned into a musical detailing her life and rise to power. The song “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” is a representation of this speech and is Eva’s plea to her people to know that everything she did was for her love of her home.
The minute that Top Gun: Maverick hit theaters, fans wanted a third film in the franchise. And now, three years later, it does feel like things are moving forward with a new installment to Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s world.
Director Joseph Kosinski has been working on his film F1: The Movie for quite a while and now that the film is getting ready to hit theaters, many have asked the Maverick director about the third film. And when speaking with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan, Kosinski shared with the outlet that things are looking good for the third film.
Working retail has its own particular set of frustrations. Demanding customers, the monotony of stocking shelves, and being forced to work strange hours and holidays are just some of the many aspects of the job that can drive retail workers batty.
A Dollar Tree worker recently shared something that drives him nuts on the job that many probably don’t think much of: $20 bills.
Back in the old days, the good old days, when it was generally accepted that Fascism and Nazis were bad, bloggers would write these posts that were sort of recaps of what we were doing, what we’d been doing, with some links to stuff we liked. This is one of those posts.
Good morning. I’m in Jackson, Mississippi, for the Mississippi Comi Con. Come see me if you’re local! I’m here all day today and tomorrow.
My travel yesterday was basically uneventful, once I was actually on a plane and in the sky. My connection in Dallas was delayed three different times, and each time the airline told me that my gate had been changed from where I was, to the gate that was farthest away in the terminal. So I spent a couple hours walking back and forth, which honestly wasn’t bad at all. I probably got in more steps walking in that terminal than I get on a typical Thursday.
The invention of noise canceling earbuds has made all the difference for me, with travel. I can wrap myself in a bit of a cocoon, and just get where I am going without a lot of sensory overload and overwhelm. Usually, I just listen to one of my playlists, but I have a mountain of Audible credits that I’ve been turning into books. For the last week or so, I’ve been going back and forth between Rip It Up And Start Again, by Simon Reynolds, and Peter Hook’s book about Joy Division1. They are both oral histories of the post-punk movement from around 1976 to 1990, from different points of view. The parts where they overlap are just fascinating. Hookie has his memories of specific events, and Reynolds collects memories from other people who were at the same event. I’m sure there are other books, from other members of other bands, that would fill in even more details. This is one of the reasons I just love history so much, and why it’s so satisfying to track down primary sources.
When I wasn’t listening to those books, I read a short story that’s one of the Hugo finalists2, Marginalia, by Mary Robinette Kowal. It’s featured in Uncanny Magazine, which is where a TON of finalists were published this year.3
I usually arrive hungry (thanks, Anthony Bourdain4) but I did some math in Dallas and realized I wouldn’t be landing until almost 11, and I didn’t want to eat at midnight, even if my body insisted it was only 9pm. So I looked around the terminal and my choices were Starbucks and Whataburger, or some combination of granola bars, a dodgy-looking apple, and a sad Wil. So I chose Whataburger and OMG it was perfect. I don’t usually eat stuff like that, and it was like BOOM COMFORT FOOD from the first bite. It reminded me of the little burger shacks that were in parking lots in the Valley when I was a kid, with those perfect drive-thru fries that you’d eat half of before you got home. My body wasn’t thrilled that I put a burger and fries into it so late in my day, but my body’s been kind of a dick lately, so it can just deal with it.
ANYWAY. I finally got to my hotel. Finally got checked in. Got to my room just around 1130pm, not hungry, but wide awake. Neat.
I watched some YouTube, read some blogs, and finally fell asleep around 1am local time. I slept shockingly well, woke up feeling fully rested, and now I’m trying to find things to do until it’s time to go to work. I’ve actually run out of brain cycles for reading, or even listening to someone else read — does that happen to other people? You really want to keep going because you’re so interested or enthralled or whatever, but your brain is just like, “dude I can’t. I’ve run out of focus and I don’t know what to tell you.” It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem. It’s me.
While I was trying to wind my brain down, I watched this video about merch5, and now I want to record myself narrating a very short …. something … that’s up to about 5 minutes, and release it on extremely indie, extremely DIY, cassettes and vinyl. When Sean Bonner and I did Saturday Night Massacre back in 20176, as part of the Kickstarter one week project thingy, we wanted to do something like this, and I can’t remember if we actually made physical media or not. I don’t think we did, but just because we ran out of time. It looks like it isn’t too difficult to get the things made, though. It’s just the fulfillment that would take some meaningful time.
If I created some bespoke physical media that cost around $30 all-in after shipping, would you be into that? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll prioritize accordingly.
I love the image of my bookcase they put on the card, my glasses, and the spout of hair that always explodes off the side of my head. It’s the little details, y’all..
This con marks the official beginning of my 2025 Summer Convention Season. Over the next month or so, here’s where I’m scheduled:
July 4-5 I will be in Montreal for Montreal Comic Con
July 11-13 I will be in Knoxville for Fanboy Expo
July 20-22 I will be in Atlanta for ATL Comic Convention
I think there are one or two others that I’m not remembering, but that’s July. I really should have a page with this information that I can link to, rather than relying on my memory, but I’ve never done more than five shows in a calendar year before now, and my memory has been more than enough to keep them all straight. This year, I’m doing more than I have in a long time because I feel like we need to get out and do the fun things, get together with our fellow nerds in a safe place to express ourselves and see each other, now more than ever. Everything is terrible, but at least we can have a few hours, a couple days, of peace and respite, surrounded by people who love the things we love, the same way we love them.
Community is important in the best of times. It’s VITAL when we have thugs brutalizing, terrorizing, and kidnapping our friends and neighbors, under orders from a wannabe despot who seeks to use the power of the State — power that belongs to the people — to wage war against citizens who won’t accept him as our king. Going to conventions, game days at your local game shop, Neighborhood Nights Out in your community, and gently interacting with other people is a massive bulwark against tyranny7, according to professor Timothy Snyder, one of the leading experts in the world on the subject.
So do your patriotic duty and go to a convention this summer! It’ll be fun! Joy is resistance!
I’m so blessed and so grateful that I attract kind, creative, enthusiastic people when I am at a show. I always get the most surprising and beautiful things, and I love to share them. As always, I’ll be posting to my Instagram stories from the con. Clever is my Kryptonite, and there are always clever people at these things.
Okay, that’s all for today. I hope everyone has the most wonderful weekend possible. Take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.
He has the most soothing voice, ever. I feel like I’m sitting in a cafe with him while he tells me all about this time in his life. The way he makes me feel as I’m listening to him is what I hoped to give to people who listen to Still Just A Geek. ︎
I have this idea to narrate all the finalists in the short story category for my podcast. I don’t think we’ll be back in production in time to do this before the awards are handed out, but it’s something I’d love to do next year, and every year after that, if they’ll let me. ︎
Have I mentioned that Lynne and Michael Thomas, who edit Uncanny, found all the stories I read in the first season of It’s Storytime? If I can afford it, I’m hoping to work with them again. They are amazing. ︎
As it relates to DIY and indie creators. This guy is as enthusiastic about this kind of thing as I am, and loves to make fun stuff just because it’s fun to make. There are a lot of ancillary benefits, as he observes, but even if you’re not someone who would enjoy (or is looking for) those particular benefits, his excitement, enthusiasm, and creativity shine though. I can see how just making this thing he thought was silly and fun affected not only his creativity, but the whole band’s creativity. ︎
GodDAMN was this project fun. The history, the Kickstarter, all of it. It’s one of those things we did because we wanted it to exist, and we didn’t care if a hundred people or zero people liked it. As it turned out, 138 people liked it. That’s a nice, even, 140 when you count both of us. ︎
12. Make eye contact and small talk. This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life. ︎
I don’t know about you but the idea of my private texts being used against me because of work drama feels like no one wins. But that’s what is happening in the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni case.
During the release of It Ends With Us, fans picked up on something going on with Baldoni and Lively. Despite being the leads of the film and creative partners in the film, the two were not doing press together. Baldoni didn’t even get to walk the carpet with the rest of the cast and people noticed that everyone from the film unfollowed him.
We stopped the lookalike contests for a minute. It began when there was suddenly a poster for a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest and it started a movement. The Glen Powell one took over Austin, Tom Holland tackled London, and more. Now, it is back for Pedro Pascal.
The lookalike contest took place in New York City and featured plenty of hopefuls. Some have become famous online for looking somewhat like Pascal. Others, like George Gountas, walked up because he thought it’d be funny and ended up taking the entire competition. Gountas, who is the lighting designer for The Daily Show, revealed what happened with Jon Stewart himself.
A Hooters server shared a PSA in a viral TikTok for folks who like to order waters for their table. The controversial take sparked a fierce debate in the comments section, arguing on whether she had a valid complaint.
Alyssa (@_alyssacrown) begins her clip filming a table that appeared to have had five customers. She revealed five glasses of water that were still mostly untouched.
Debuting at the Cannes Film Festival, Splitsville is a new romantic comedy from Michael Angelo Covino, who co-wrote the script with Kyle Marvin. Both Marvin and Covino star in the film opposite Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona and it is a twisted look at love.
Carey (Marvin) and Ashley (Arjona) are driving to visit their friends, Paul (Covino) and Julie (Johnson). On the way there, Ashley and Carey get into an accident after trying to spice up their love life and it sets the tone for the rest of the film, which is all about loving what you have and realizing what you want out of your partner.
Why start another famous series about some milquetoast Chosen One’s quest to defeat the Dark Lord when you could start an actually COOL fantasy series that no one else has ever heard of? Think of how much people will love you at parties! As you gush to them about a series they don’t know about and will probably never read because you kinda annoyed them! If you’re looking for under the radar, hipster, most interesting reader in the room fantasy novels to possibly excite whoever’s ear your talking off in the house party kitchen, you must check out these 10 underrated fantasy books.
Allison Ruth is business major, a barista, and a soon to be slayer of gods. While she began Tom Parkinson Morgan’s Kill Six Billion Demons as those first two things, she’s thrown into a quest to become the third after a runaway demigod teleports her to the multiverse while she’s in the middle of losing her virginity. All alone and blessed with newfound divine power, Allison must navigate Heaven – which is a corpse city ruled by all manner of otherworldly beings. Transgender stone angels, gold hoarding dragon gods, an imp with a penchant for fanfiction, all of these creatures and more Allison is forced to cross paths (and sometimes swords) with on her quest to defeat a divinity that seeks to destroy reality itself.
Kelsey Byron (@kelclight), a TikTok influencer from Tennessee, had her identity stolen by a cleaning lady in 2023. In a video with over 85,000 views, she explained how the “craziest thing that has ever happened” to her in her life actually happened.
It started with a message she sent out on her city’s “girls’ group,” which led to a recommendation for a house cleaner. Bryon hired the recommended service provider, and everything was fine. Byron noted that the woman she hired was “around [her] age” and incredibly friendly. In September, Byron requested that the woman do a move-out clean.
A woman whose dumpster-diving videos have earned her 2.2 million followers on TikTok hit the motherlode behind a T.J. Maxx. Ella, who goes by @glamourddive on TikTok, uploaded her latest designer-studded haul to a whopping 4.1 million viewers.
Her clip begins with her approaching a big, blue dumpster behind T.J. Maxx with a padlock fastened on it.
When Ted Chiang wrote a cute little story about a linguist learning to picture-talk with some seven legged octopus aliens, I wonder if he knew that it would someday be adapted into a big budget Hollywood sci-fi movie with Amy Adams? If he learned heptapod speak, and with it their knowledge of the future, I’m sure he did. While I’ve never personally conversed with the heptapods, and my foresight’s only good for predicting what I’ll have for dinner, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what could make another big budget Hollywood venture: these 10 sci-fi books could be the next Arrival.
The Sparrow
(Villard)
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel is basically reverse Arrival, where humans visit an alien planet in an attempt to spread enlightenment. Unlike the heptapods, we screw it up big time. After hearing alien music bumping from a faraway star system, a group of spacefaring Catholic missionaries step out on a lightyears long limb to make first contact – and they step in it in the process. The missionaries connect with the planet’s two intelligent species, one of whom serves as prey for the other. After a series of cultural misunderstandings, the humans make catastrophic social blunders that explode into a supernova of tragedy for all involved.
A former Ruth’s Chris Steak House worker spilled the beans on how seriously the steakhouse’s customers take its iconic “sizzling” reputation. In a viral TikTok, Knighten (@knighten17) shared the one time the restaurant didn’t take its mantra seriously–and how it turned into a big mistake.
‘Where’s the sizzle?’
Ruth’s Chris Steak House is renowned for serving its prime steaks on a 500-degree plate to make them sizzle. The secret to the sizzling perfection? “A little butter and parsley on the pate before [sending] them out to the table,” Knighten reveals in his clip. “We call it ‘the sizzle.’ It’s kind of the mantra of Ruth’s Chris.”
Striking up a conversation with a stranger is precarious business, particularly in an enclosed space like an airplane. A model says she had an especially uncomfortable exchange with her seatmate on a recent Delta Airlines flight. The woman called her fat.
Kate Kope (@kate_kope) posted a TikTok about the experience. In it, she says that the woman asked her what she does for a living. When she replied that she’s a “curve model,” she says the woman insisted on seeing her Instagram.
One Kroger shopper called the store’s Juneteenth cakes “unacceptable” after she saw the lack of care and attention that went into decorating them. TikToker @blaq.monalisa shared her disbelief at finding that the Juneteenth cakes in a Kroger’s bakery section were subpar compared to the other pastries.
‘Free @ last’
Juneteenth–which celebrates the emancipation of slaves–became a national holiday in the U.S. in 2021, though it was celebrated in Texas before then. While the country observes the holiday with store and office closures, some retail stores do offer Juneteenth-themed merchandise for purchase. Kroger is one such store. So when @blaq.monalisa visited the Atlanta, Georgia location, she became enraged at the careless way the Juneteenth cakes were made.
Ever since H.G. Wells’ TheWar of The Worlds hit the airwaves, humanity has become terrified alien invaders, unaware of the fact that aliens might just be terrified of us. To the objective and extraterrestrial observer, human beings are horrifying. For all our guises of civility – our business suits and cappuccinos and adult coloring books, we’re nothing more than a bunch of angry primates with the power to smash atoms and the gall to use it. The fountain pen that recorded human history was dipped in blood, and woe to any species that comes across us when we finally take to the stars. If extraterrestrials are expecting to meet the better angels of our nature upon first contact, they should give these 10 sci-fi books where humans are the bad guys a gander – so they know what they’re really in for.
Binti
(Tordotcom)
Binti is an afrofuturist novel by Nnedi Okorafor, and is about a young women who is the first in her community to be accepted into a prestigious college… on the other side of the galaxy. After Binti runs away from home in order to catch a transport ship to Oomza University, her troubles go from difficult to abysmal after the ship is invaded by a group of jellyfish-like aliens called the Meduse. While the Meduse appear to be Lovecraftian horrors from humanity’s darkest nightmares, Binti slowly learns that the jellies’ relationship to mankind is far more nuanced than it appears. After connecting with a Meduse, Binti learns that humanity stole a sacred artifact from their kind, and the Meduse are only seeking to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. It’s a parable about the sort of colonialism that filled the British Museum with artifacts poached from indigenous peoples of the world, and one woman’s attempt to right the wrongs of her own kind.
Lift every voice and sing, ‘Til earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on ’til victory is won.
I did not know about Juneteenth until I was in my 40s. I recall how embarrassed and ashamed I felt, but it just wasn’t taught to me in school, and America doesn’t exactly go out of her way to teach privileged white kids like me about the horrors our ancestors inflicted on generations of human beings. Hopefully, that has changed.
In the extremely unlikely event you are hearing about this for the first time: “Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday’s name, first used in the 1890s, is a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth, referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Grangerordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.”
As the institutions and corporations that influence so much of American culture draw shamefully away from celebrating and honoring marginalized communities, including communities of color, it falls (as it always does) to us, the people, to step up and use our collective voice to speak out so our friends, neighbors, and fellow humans who do not have the same privilege that so many of us have are seen and heard.
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the_mary_sue_feed) wrote2025-06-20 10:21 pm
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